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Visunklanner
Summary The Visunklanner, or "Bison Clans" are a ancient nation of warriors and herdsmen, found on the high central plains of Pintara. They are devout monotheists, following a god whom they refer to only in code: Eallthegn; or All-Thane. Clan members consider the land, sky, waters, animals, and themselves as All-Thane, a holy aristocracy of the unnamed god; treating even the lowest caste in their ranks and most mundane of creatures with reverence. What reverence the Clans hold for themselves and their land is equaled, even surpassed, by the revulsion and disdain they hold for outsiders. Strange beasts are driven off, or killed. Men may be killed, or maimed and driven off. Visunklanner will not voluntarily touch an "outland" person, animal, or object until it has been purified. History The few sages who have traveled Visunklanner lands (and lived to speak of it) note the Clans speak an ancient Cete dialect, and bear more than a passing resemblance to them. They are thought to be among the "First Landed" exiled from the ocean peoples thousands of years ago. The Edda The Clans recite holy legends, the Traes Edda, that tell of their history: Night Ocean Black, Of Red Rain, and White Land of Eallthegn. The Night Ocean Black tells of their escape and diaspora from their Father-kin. Of Red Rain tells of heroes and brutal fighting against elves and monsters of the jungles they first reached. The last, White Land, tells tales of the Clans' ultimate discovery of the high, snow-covered plains of central Pintara. Appearance Visunklanner are quite tall, with reddened brown skin. Hair and eye color varies widely. Most clansmen and women wear their hair long, cutting it only as a mark of grief or shame. In the hot, high summer the people wear light leather, or woven flax tunics. In the winter, they opt for heavy bison hide coats and leggings. On the rare occasion a clan member has to travel outside their holy land, they cover themselves from head to foot in flax robes. They will wear bison leather gloves and boots to avoid touching anything foreign. Most will carry a large bag of dried food, and a satchel of water--to avoid consuming foreign foods as long as possible. Society The Visunklanners live in small semi-nomadic bands. Each band travels about the plateau, following the movements of great bison herds, the availability of wild plants, and summer rains. Visunklannr have no written language. Bards and poets are highly valued in the society, for communicating messages, passing on history, and particularly for establishing lineage. Summer and Winter Lands No lands or herds are owned individually. All may hunt and gather freely. They also practice little agriculture. The clans know their territory intimately, when and where wild crops can be gathered, and when weather is changing. Visunklannr travel to their Summer Lands after the first thaw. They spend weeks tracking the bison, allowing them to mate and calve. As High Summer approaches, the great hunts begin. Thousands of warriors gather to drive the bison into box valleys and ravines where they can be killed. The work is dangerous and difficult, for the Visunklannr use few horses. As winter approaches, clan members begin trading salt and meat among themselves. Others begin carrying preserved meat south to cache in the winter. In the Winter Lands, Visunklannr generally keep to themselves in small family groups. Food is more scarce, hunting more difficult, and fighting more prevalent. Cannibalism is rumored to occur during in harsh winters. Klannr refer to the winter as "His Time," a time in which one's fate is determined by the unnamed god. Family Visunklannr have polygamous families of varying sizes and pairings. Marriages are made by oath, and may be of differing duration. Lineage is established through the mother. The mother may divorce at will, and take her children. Husbands may divorce only by paying a Salt Debt, paid in salt, hides, or meat. Children are trained from an early age to be self-reliant, required to help the tribe with hunting and gathering. Youth are taught the histories of their clans, in dance and song. The Blood Dances Government The Visunklanner civilization is loosely organized. No one owns land or treasure. And no one may be compelled to service. All are considered Eallthegn, equals in the eyes of their god. That said, a good hunter gains more wives and children. Good leaders, men and women, rise up, and are followed in war bands. Much weight is given to an Eallthegn who can speak with the god. These clerics and bards can sway large groups of Visunklannr to act. Each band is lead by the most charismatic member. Some bands have a leader in their nineties with others following people barely out of their teens. It all depends on the perception if the leader is "blessed" or not. Honor Debt Since Visunklannr have no possessions and little hierarchy, they base their existence around honor. There is a rigid code among the clans, based on familial and tribal obligations. Honorable members serve their families and the greater good. And honor is valued more highly than any possession. Warfare Few outsiders risk invading the Visun Plain. There is little shelter from the region's notorious weather. Food is hard to find. There are no towns or villages to plunder for treasure or slaves. When outsiders do stray into their lands, the Visunklannr quickly send scouts to watch their movement. Clan warriors work in small groups, depending on their knowledge of the weather and terrain to overcome more numerous foes. The clansmen are known to drive large herds of bison into enemy encampments. They also bury wells, and temporarily poison streams, to thwart strangers. Some will even set fires to drive off enemies. Foods Visunklannr often have few fresh food options available. Hunts fail, wild animals may eat food plants. So, they've designed ingenious methods of preservation, It is called "Tallow Meat, or Candle Meat." Clans make a mash of dried and shredded bison flesh, fat, berries, wild roots (salt if available), wrapping it in a grass-weaved tube the size and shape of a man's forearm. Portions may be squeezed out and eaten raw. But the preferred method is to heat the grass casing over a fire, cooking the Candle Meat inside.Category:Cultures Location The Visunklanner live in a high plateau region called the Visun Plain, in central Pintara near the equator. The plain rises 8,000 feet above sea level. It has a hot, dry summer punctuated by violent thunderstorms. The Plain then has a harsh, snowy winter; with heavy rains at the start and end of each season. Estimated Numbers The clans are thought to number between 50,000 to 100,000 souls. Almost all are of human ancestry. Known Towns Visunklanner have no towns. Wood and stone are scarce. And the clans travel with the migrations of the buffalo herds. They carry their dwellings with them in the form of hide tents. Allies Visunklanner count the dwarves of Abbacies Sonus as allies. They trade meat for salt and metals. They also visit a trading outpost of the Fermi Fjora, located on an island in the Ogri River. They are also trading partners with the Ogri to the west. Every few years the Visunklannr drive thousands of bison off the northern cliffs. In exchange, the ogri heave rough hewn lumber up the cliffs for the clans' use (stockades, tent posts). Some of these carcasses are taken all the way down the river to the sea. Foes Visunklannr hate the Pintari mages, going so far as to fight anyone with a tattoo (thinking they are a Pintari slave or ally). The clans are divided on the treatment of Draegemehn, a Fellbreed people at their southern border. Some Visunklannrs attack draegemehn on sight. Others will simply drive them away from their lands. And still others have developed a secretive, forbidden trade with the lizard-men. Characters Category:Cultures